title: Attitudes Toward Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Farmers' Market Usage Among Low-Income North Carolinians.
abstract: Low fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is associated with higher rates of obesity and chronic disease among low-income individuals. Understanding attitudes towards F&V consumption and addressing policy and environmental changes could help improve diet and reduce disease risk. A survey of North Carolinians receiving government assistance was used to describe benefits, barriers, and facilitators of eating F&V and shopping at farmers' markets in this population. A total of 341 eligible individuals from 14 counties completed the survey. The most commonly cited barriers to eating F&V were cost (26.4%) and not having time to prepare F&V (7.3%). Facilitators included access to affordable locally grown F&V (13.5%) and knowledge to quickly and easily prepare F&V (13.2%). Among people who did not use farmers' markets, common barriers to shopping there were not being able to use food assistance program benefits (35.3%) and not knowing of a farmers' market in their area (28.8%); common facilitators included transportation (24.8%) and having more information about farmers' market hours (22.9%). In addition to breaking down structural/environmental barriers to farmers' market usage, there is a need to disseminate promotional information about farmers' markets, including hours, location, and accepted forms of payment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Lucia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beth
authors.forename: Scott B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ickes
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Macguire
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Robert Andrew
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Deborah F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: Alice S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ammerman
keywords: North Carolina; fruits; low-income population; social marketing; vegetables